Top fire lookouts
Fire LookoutPequot Fire Lookout Tower
Fire LookoutBlack Bay Lookout Tower
Fire LookoutDraper Lookout Tower
Fire LookoutJasper Peak Fire Tower
Fire LookoutNimrod Fire Tower
Fire LookoutAiton Heights Fire Tower
Fire LookoutAsh River Lookout Tower
Fire LookoutBadoura Lookout Tower
Fire LookoutSt. Croix State Park Fire Tower
Fire LookoutCuba Hill Lookout Tower
Fire LookoutBall Bluff Lookout Tower
Fire LookoutLinder Fire Tower
Fire Lookouts by county
- Aitkin County4
- Becker County3
- Beltrami County3
- Cook County3
- Hubbard County3
- Lake County3
- Lake of the Woods County3
- Saint Louis County9
All fire lookouts (52)
| Name | County | Elevation | Nearest town | Sky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pequot Fire Lookout Tower | Crow Wing County | — | Pequot Lakes | 2 |
| Black Bay Lookout Tower | Koochiching County | — | International Falls | 1 |
| Draper Lookout Tower | Cass County | — | Crosslake | 2 |
| Jasper Peak Fire Tower | Saint Louis County | — | Babbitt | 1 |
| Nimrod Fire Tower | Wadena County | — | Menahga | 2 |
| Aiton Heights Fire Tower | Clearwater County | — | Park Rapids | 1 |
| Ash River Lookout TowerVoyageurs | Saint Louis County | — | International Falls | 1 |
| Badoura Lookout Tower | Hubbard County | — | Park Rapids | 2 |
| St. Croix State Park Fire Tower | Pine County | — | Hinckley | 3 |
| Cuba Hill Lookout Tower | Cass County | — | Bemidji | 1 |
| Ball Bluff Lookout Tower | Aitkin County | — | Grand Rapids | 2 |
| Linder Fire Tower | Beltrami County | — | Little Rock | 1 |
| Cromwell Lookout Tower | Carlton County | — | Cloquet | 2 |
| Gheen Hill Lookout Tower | Saint Louis County | — | Mountain Iron | 1 |
| Rusheba Lookout Tower | Chisago County | — | Rush City | 4 |
| Pomroy Lookout Tower | Kanabec County | — | Mora | 3 |
| Elephant Lake Lookout Tower | Saint Louis County | — | International Falls | 1 |
| Blackduck Lookout Tower | Beltrami County | — | Bemidji | 1 |
| Cascade Lookout Tower | Cook County | — | Grand Marais | 1 |
| Cloquet Lookout Tower | Carlton County | — | Cloquet | 4 |
| Cotton Lookout Tower | Saint Louis County | — | Eveleth | 2 |
| Kabekona Lookout Tower | Hubbard County | — | Bemidji | 2 |
| LaSalle Lookout Tower | Clearwater County | — | Bagley | 2 |
| Nickerson Lookout Tower | Pine County | — | Moose Lake | 2 |
| Finland Lookout Tower | Lake County | — | Silver Bay | 1 |
| Hovland Lookout Tower | Cook County | — | Grand Marais | 1 |
| Molde Lookout Tower | Lake County | — | Two Harbors | 3 |
| Prosper Lookout Tower | Lake of the Woods County | — | Warroad | 1 |
| Tulaby Lookout Tower | Becker County | — | Mahnomen | 1 |
| Farley Hill Lookout Tower | Itasca County | — | Cohasset | 1 |
| Emily Lookout Tower | Crow Wing County | — | Crosslake | 2 |
| Faunce Lookout Tower | Lake of the Woods County | — | Baudette | 1 |
| Floodwood Lookout Tower | Saint Louis County | — | Cloquet | 2 |
| White Pine Lookout Tower | Aitkin County | — | Sandstone | 2 |
| Quadna Fire Tower | Aitkin County | — | Grand Rapids | 2 |
| Coleraine Fire Lookout Tower | Itasca County | — | Coleraine | 3 |
| Height of Land Lookout Tower | Becker County | — | Bagley | 1 |
| Schoolcraft Fire Tower | Hubbard County | — | Bemidji | 2 |
| Cambridge Lookout Tower | Isanti County | — | Cambridge | 5 |
| Lawson Lookout Tower | Marshall County | — | Roseau | 1 |
| Rapid River Fire Tower | Lake of the Woods County | — | Baudette | 1 |
| Side Lake Lookout Tower | Saint Louis County | — | Chisholm | 2 |
| Vermilion Dam Lookout Tower | Saint Louis County | — | Ely | 1 |
| Kekekabic Lookout Tower | Lake County | — | Ely | 1 |
| Mille Lacs Kathio Observation Tower | Mille Lacs County | — | Vineland | 2 |
| Pinewood Fire Tower | Beltrami County | — | Bemidji | 4 |
| Sandy Lake Lookout Tower | Aitkin County | — | Aitkin | 2 |
| Smoky Hills Lookout Tower | Becker County | — | Park Rapids | 2 |
| Agassiz Headquarters Fire Observation Tower | Marshall County | — | Thief River Falls | 1 |
| Devilfish Lookout Tower | Cook County | — | Grand Marais | 1 |
| Kabetogama Lookout TowerVoyageurs | Saint Louis County | — | International Falls | 1 |
| Birchdale Lookout Tower | Koochiching County | — | Baudette | 1 |
Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).
Map
How to photograph fire lookouts
Lookouts are built for 360° views, so sunrise and sunset are both options — use the azimuths to decide which view you want.
- Some lookouts can be rented overnight through recreation.gov, which puts you on site for both sunset and sunrise.
- Shoot the tower itself against the Milky Way or star trails on clear, moonless nights.
- Haze from wildfire smoke can turn the sun deep red but reduce visibility; check air quality.
- Access roads may be rough or seasonal.
Season: Summer and early autumn; many towers are staffed only during fire season.